Months following Elon Musk's confrontation with a journalist who struggled to provide examples of hate speech on Twitter, MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan, of Indian descent, has entered the fray, taking on the tech billionaire over the issue of hate speech on the social media platform.
This recent development comes on the heels of Musk's earlier dismissal of a BBC journalist who was unable to furnish a specific instance of hateful content on Twitter during an interview.
Mehdi Hasan, the host of MSNBC, has been outspoken in his criticism of Musk's approach to Twitter. On Friday, Hasan, using Twitter, proclaimed "Challenge accepted" before proceeding to enumerate over two dozen instances of hate speech discovered on the platform.
Adding to the scrutiny, Hasan presented six instances of hate speech that Musk himself had shared. He further accused Musk, the head of Twitter, of amplifying "some of the worst tweets on his site" by engaging with them.
Hasan's actions are viewed as a direct response to Musk's assertion that hate speech is not a significant issue on Twitter.
In an earlier incident in April, Elon Musk put the BBC in an awkward position during an exclusive interview in which he challenged journalist James Clayton to provide a single example of hate speech on Twitter. Clayton, however, was unable to do so.
The exchange unfolded when Clayton inquired about concerns regarding the growing prevalence of hate speech on the microblogging platform. In response, Musk immediately asked Clayton to provide "a single example of hateful content. Not even one tweet. And yet you claimed that the hateful content was high. That's false."
As the BBC journalist responded with hesitation, Musk interjected, accusing Clayton of lying and suggesting that he had no knowledge of the subject.
Since Elon Musk took control of Twitter, his approach to moderating content on the platform has been criticized for being lax. Researchers have reported a significant uptick in hate speech and problematic content since Musk assumed leadership.
For instance, the New York Times reported that slurs targeting Black Americans surged from an average of 1,282 instances per day to 3,876 instances per day following Musk's acquisition. Similarly, slurs against gay men increased from 2,506 to 3,964 instances per day, while anti-Semitic posts referencing Jews or Judaism witnessed a more than 61% rise.
Additionally, previously banned accounts, including those associated with the Islamic State and QAnon, have resurfaced and even obtained verified status, granting them an air of legitimacy. This development has raised concerns among researchers and civil rights organizations, which argue that Musk's approach is emboldening racists, homophobes, and anti-Semites.
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